Hermetic closure for tumblers.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

W. A. LORENZ. HERMETIC CLOSURE FOR TUMBLERS. APPLICATION r LED JULY 5.

PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

W. A. LORENZL HERMETIG CLOSURE FOR TUMBLERS.

APPLIOATIGN FILED JULY 29. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEIIT 2.

Ir vem n \NlLLIAM A- LORENZ UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

HERMETIC CLOSURE FOR TUMBLERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed July 29,1905. Serial No. 271,755-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHermetic Closures for Tumblers, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in closures for the hermeticsealing of tumblers and other plain-rimmed receptacles.

The present closure-joint now commonly used for hermetically sealingjars is that in which the cap is of a flaring form where it engages withthe sealing-gasket, the latter being supported upon a shoulder or in agroove provided for it below the level of the rim of the jar and uponthe inner or outer surface thereof, according as an internal or externalcap is to be used. In either case, however, the shoulder unfits thereceptacle for many subsequent household uses which might be served by atumbler or mug or cup having a plain rim but the difficulty of employingthese plain-rimmed receptacles in connection with a flaring cap andgasket has been that they afford no means for receiving and maintainingthe cap or gasket in correct position upon the rim of the receptacleduring the sealing operation. Moreover, the rims of tumblers and similarreceptacles are com monly rounded on the top, which increases thedifliculty of supporting and maintaining the gasket in concentricrelation to the rim during the sealing operation.

The most approved form of closure employed for the hermetic sealing ofreceptacles is that now commonly known as a wedging closure, in whichthe gasket is compressed at an angle against either the inner or outershoulder of a receptacle. In applying this wedging type of closure totumblers a further difficulty is experienced from the fact that thetumbler-rims are liable to imperfections and irregularities in thecircular zone of contact between the gasket and the tumblerrun.

In the present invention means are provided for compressing or wedgingthe gasket on more than one zone of its surface. The gasket is supportedin circular form by the closure, which brings it into conformity withthe circle of the tumbler-rim, being supported in a downwardly-facinggroove formed between the converging walls of the flexible flaring rimsof two separate closure members placed one within the other. These twomembers are preferably struck up from sheet metal and are made in theform of caps having flexible flaring rims. One of these mem hers issmaller than the other, so that when inverted and placed within thelarger member the outer wall of its flaring rim cooperates with theinner wall of the rim of the outer member to form the annular grooveabove referred to. The lower portions of one or both of these membersproject below the gasket and serve, when placed in position upon thetumbler, to centralize the closure approximately therewith. The flaringrims of the two metallic members of the closure rest independently upontwo different zones of the gasket, these members being fitted togetherso as to provide for a limited amount of vertical movement relative toeach other. In this way during the sealing operation the gasket iscompressed in at least two zones upon the inner and outer sides,respectively, of the tumbler-rim, thus increasing the security of theseal without sacrificing the other desirable features of the wedgingtype of closure.

This invention is herein illustrated in connection with the hermeticsealing of an ordinary tumbler as being one of the best representativesof the type herein designated as plain-rimmec receptacles.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings are enlarged fragmentary views of thetumbler, its gasket, cap, and support. Fig. 1 shows the parts in theposition occupied by them during the air-expelling or air-exhaustingposition, while Fig. 2 shows the cap and gasketsupport pushed down intheir sealed position. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, of a gasket,cap, and tumbler in their sealed condition. Figs. 4and 5 represent amodifiedform of the gasket and its support, Fig. & showing the parts intheir unsealed position and Fig. 5 showing them in their sealedposition. In this modification a gasket of substantially square sectionis employed. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show a further modification, moreespecially of the form of the gasket-support.

In the embodiment of this invention which is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3the gasket 9 rests upon and concentrically with the rim 10 of thetumbler 11, being held in this concentric relation by means of the innerclosure member 12, herein termed the gas- ICC port is preferablycylindrical and fits the inner and upper portion of the flaring cap 17,so as to centralize the cap with the gasket and support, the coactingportions of the cap and support being of such proportions as to permit alimited sliding movement of the cap relativeto the support downwardlyfrornthe position. shown. in Fig. 1, as shown by comparison-with Fig. 2.of the cap restsagainst the outer side of the gasket.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a'gasket 20 of substantiallysquare cross-section is shown, and the form of the gasketsupport 21' iscorrespondingly varied.

21 is applied by means of the corner 22, more directly upon the top ofthe gasket thanin.

the prev ious figures, although the pinching action. upon the inner sideof therim is or.

may be considerable.

Inthemodification showninFigs. 4 to 8, inclusive, the middle portion 27is archedupwardly considerably morethan is the. case with the support12, (shown in Figs. 1 and-2,) inwhich the corresponding portion16 isflat, or. substantially so. This flattened forniimparts stiflness to thesupport, whereas the arched form is more flexible, one or the otherof,the se forms being chosen according to the conditions or, requiredcapacity of particular cases.

important feature of this invention resides in the fact that it enablesthe flexibility of the, turned-up rim portion of the inner supportto beutilized in adjusting itself to irregularities in the tumblers and moreparticularly to their departure from .circular contour, Inasmuch asthese supports engage withthe gasket at, a considerable distance abovetheir bottom corners, it will be seen that this. adaptability, due tothe flexibility of the turned-uprimsus sufficientto enable the supporttoadapt itself to the aforesaid irregularitiesdurin the sealing operation.

In the.v modification shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 the sealing zone 25 hasa less abrupt inclinationthan inthe preceding figures, thus carrying itscircle orzone of hardest contact with the, gasket well inside the rim ofthe tumbler. The angle of the contour of the in: ner support shown inthese figures is about equal'to that of the outer cap, so that thewedging action of the support and of the. cap takeseffect-upon thegasket about equally upon thetwo sides of the tunibler rim and at labout equal anglesfrom the center thereo The flaring-portion. 18

n: this case the sealing pressure of the support siege?" Although theseupturned rims of the gasketsupport are thus flexibly adaptable duringthe sealing operation to the irregularities in the contour of thetumbler, they serve when sealed to reinforce the rim of the receptacleto a considerable degree against the outside pressure of the atmospheredue to the vacuum within, thereby reducing to an appreciable extent thedanger of breakage through accident or careless handling.

In sealing tumblers with this improved closure the tumblers after beingfilled are placed in a suitable exhausting apparatus with the closuresresting in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, respectively, thusallowing free-exit of the air from the interior of the tumbler duringthe exhausting operation, during which timealso the closures are thegasket uponthe outer edge of the recep- ,tacle-rim somewhat inadvance ofthe compressionof the other portions of the gasket, it; being generallyconsidered preferable to place the principal reliance upon asealobtained by wedging pressure from the outside. The continueddownward pressure -of:the cap acting upon the gasket-support serves tocompress also the inner portion of the gasket, the position of thegreatest pressure being determined by the contour of'the support, which,as. indicated by the different modifications shown herein, may beadapted to different requirements or conditions. Any of thesegasket-supportsmay be provided with a hole 30 to permit the escape ofthe-air between the cap and the support. These inner supports may bemade of waterproof paper, glass, sheet'metal, or other, suitablematerial, the thicknesses and contour being suitably adapted to thematerial employed and adapted to the manufacturing process or methodsfound preferable for making them; but theyv are l preferably made fromsheet metalv which should be non-corrosive or be protected fromcorrosion by suitable lacquer or enamel, es-- pecially if the supportsare to come in conl tactwith the contents of the ar. If not rel quiredas inner covers or linings forthe cap, the web portions 16 or 27 may beomitted, I thus using only the ring-shaped peripheral portion of thesupport;

gasket so as to regulatetheextentofjsliding outer cap tends to seal theouter portion of,

By properly proportioning the cap and the movement of the cap relativeto the inner l flaring cap provided with means for carrying support adifferential pressure may be exerted. The more movement allowed to theouter cap the greater the pressure exerted upon the outer edge of thereceptacle as compared with the pressure upon the top or inner rim ofthe receptacle.

These closures may be made and completely assembled for useindependently of the receptacles upon which they are to be employed,being preferably applied thereto after the receptacles are filled. Thisenables the receptacles to be examined after they are filled, so as tomake sure that the rims are not smeared with the contents of the jarwhile filling it, which is likely to happen in the haste usuallyattendant upon such operations.

It is not essential that both the inner support and the cap shouldproject below the tumblerrim during their initial positions. (Shown inFigs. 1, 4, and 6.) It is sufficient if either of them when in thatposition projects below the tumbler-rim sufficiently far to centralizethe closure with the rim. It is, however, considered preferable to havethe inner cap project within the receptacle for this purpose. For thatreason, among others, the inner members are herein designated asgasket-supports. It will be understood, however, that this is a more orless arbitrary designation used mainly to distinguish this member fromthe outer cap.

In my prior application, Serial N 0. 193,705, filed February 15, 1904, Ihave shown, described, and claimed the combination, with a receptacle, acap, and a gasket, of a separate support for positioning the gasket, andas to this feature thus broadly claimed this application is subordinateto the said prior application.

In my prior application, Serial No. 194,536, filed February 20, 1904, Ihave shown, described, and claimed the combination, with a plain-rimmedreceptacle and a gasket, of a cap having a pair of oppositely-disposedflaring portions for pressing the gasket in wedging relation to bothedges of the rim of the receptacle, and as to this feature broadlyclaimed the present application is subordinate to the said priorapplication.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a receptacle and agasket, of a cap and a separate gasket-support provided with flexibleflaring rims and seated upon two different zones of the gasket.

2. The combination with a receptacle and a gasket, of a cap and aseparate gasket-support provided with flexible flaring rims seated uponthe outer and inner zones, respectively of the gasket.

3. The combination with a receptacle, of a separate gasket-supportprovided with means for centralizing itself with the receptacle, a

the support down with it, and a gasket inserted between the support andthe cap;

4. The combination with a plain-rimmed receptacle and a gasket, of agasket-support resting upon and within the gasket, and a separateflaring cap resting upon the gasket having a limited sliding movementupon the support, whereby the support and the cap rest independentlyupon the gasket.

5. The combination with a plain-rimmed receptacle and a gasket, of agasket-support resting upon and within the gasket, and a separateflaring cap fitted for limited sliding movement upon the support, andresting upon the outer portion of the gasket, whereby the cap andsupport rest independently upon the gasket prior to the sealingoperation, and compress the gasket against the inner and outer portionsof the receptacle-rim in the sealing operation.

6. The combination with a plain-rimmed receptacle and a gasket, of aflaring cap resting upon the gasket, and a separate gasketsupport havinga flexible rim provided with means for centralizing itself within thereceptacle-rim, and with means for supporting itself upon the gasket.

7. The combination with a plain-rimmed receptacle and a gasket, of agasket-support provided with means for centralizing itself within thereceptacle-rim, and having a flaring rim resting within and upon thegasket, and an outer cap covering the inner support and the gasket andhaving a flaring rim resting upon the gasket.

8. The combination with a plain-rimmed receptacle and a gasket, of agasket-support provided with means for centralizing itself within therim of the receptacle, and having a flaring rim resting within and uponthe gasket, and a cap inclosing the support and having a flaring rimresting upon an outer zone of the gasket, the support and the capresting upon the gasket independently of each other.

9. The combination with a plainrim1ned receptacle and a gasket, of aninner and an outer sealing-cap each provided with a flaring rim forcompressing the gasket, one of the said caps having its flaring rimturned downwardly over an outer zone of the gasket while the other capis inverted within the first cap, and rests upon the gasket, and extendswithin the circle of the receptacle-rim, to centralize the severalmembers with each other.

10. The combination with a receptacle and a gasket, of an innersealing-cap having an upwardly and outwardly flaring flexible rim seatedupon an inner zone of the gasket, and an outer sealing-cap having adownwardly and outwardly flaring flexible rim seated upon an outer zoneof the gasket.

11. A closure for receptacles comprising lloi two separate caps providedwith flaring flexible rims, one of said caps being inverted Within theother cap with the adjacent sides In testimony whereof I have signed myI of their respective rims forming the upwardly- I name to thisspecification in the presence of IO two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. LORENZ.

5 converging Walls of a downwardly-facing annular groove whichapproximately conforms in position to the rim of the receptacle, and agasket seated in said groove.

Witnesses H. MALLNER, J ANETTE S. vELLsWoRTH.

